The Heat is On
The heat is on in the USA! It is currently 98° F and it has been unseasonably humid here in southern California. Phoenix, AZ is currently 117° and has had a consecutive 25 days of temperatures over 110 F. Texas has had sweltering temps as well so I figured that today would be a good day for some reminders, cooling tips and icy treat recipes for your diabetic dog (any dog really!).
Grab a cup of your favorite cold beverage and let’s get to it.
It is hot and we need to pay attention to the temperature of concrete or asphalt when taking our dogs on walks. In fact, walks should only be taken in the early morning or when it cools off in the evening. If you take your dog out in the heat the “7 seconds rule” is great to follow.
Sun worshipping diabetic dogs should have limited time in the sun right now. Laying in the sun for extended periods can cause blood glucose levels to drop or rise and can cause dehydration. Lucy was a sun worshipper but when it was hot I limited her sunbathing to ten minutes max.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious conditions that require immediate medical attention. Since our dogs are diabetic they have a hard time regulating temperature. The following chart shows symptoms and first aid for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Make sure you have plenty of fresh water available at all times. To encourage water consumption you can add a little bone broth to their water to entice them to drink.
Ice cakes are a great treat for our pups. You can use a bowl and put their favorite carb free treats in the bottom then fill about half full with water or a combination of water and bone broth. Pop in the freezer until frozen and then take out of the freezer and allow the ice cake to defrost for a couple minutes to remove from the bowl. Either place the ice cake in their bowl or a plate so they can enjoy their summer treat!
If your dog is not a big fan of ice cakes or you want to give little frozen treats throughout the day you can freeze little dollops of plain Greek yogurt or plain canned pumpkin. I use a silicone ice tray for these treats and they are a hit!
Here is another recipe that is extremely popular that I recently shared but it’s worth repeating:
I hope that today’s blog helps keep your diabetic dog cool and healthy, happy Summer everyone!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
For a printable version of this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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